(Oh man, I'm really sorry that it took me so long for writing and updating! I owe you a HUGE THANK YOU for those incredible reviews on the last chapter. I was totally blown away by the massive feedback! I wanted to continue with the story much sooner but it just didn't work and this chapter was a hell of a ride haha. So, I'm sorry if it's a bit clumsy or whatever. Remember that it's the same day after their night together. Maybe this helps to understand this chapter... so that's all for now and again thank you so much for sticking around and taking the time to review (no hate-comments about Jack/Lisa accepted.)
- Oh and please excuse the French I've tried here...maybe it doesn't make any sense haha I don't know any French.)

Chapter 8

No he wasn't just Jack who visited from Canada. He was her boyfriend although of course he didn't expect her introducing him as that. They weren't in high school anymore and to be honest the term of 'boyfriend' made him cringe inside. That sounded just silly.

Still, Jack didn't like how David Petit treated her. The way he talked to her, eyed her, touched her. This all was inappropriate and unacceptable to him. As her boyfriend.
Jack felt the consistent urge to put things back to place. Maybe Lisa would approve it, maybe not. After all she had put on a straight face and a business manner the minute they left her French home. Yet, she didn't seem to notice the man's ambiguous behaviour. Jack did. From this distant point of view he did and it bothered him. Like hell.

They had arrived at David's pompous property about an hour ago and so far had seen most of the main buildings of the exquisite place. The entire area looked like a photo in a travel brochure. It was neat and tidy. Even the few horses that had been turned out onto the paddocks looked brushed and clean. Jack had always thought that Fairfield Stables looked fancy but Lisa's equine property was almost common looking in comparison to what he saw here.

David, the mid-aged Frenchman, was quite an appearance too, and thus fit perfectly well into this picture of his high-class property. With his felted flat cap, the vest that he wore buttoned over a white shirt, the grey-brown patterned riding trousers and the leather boots it seems that he had a soft spot for classic riding fashion that he most obviously liked to show off.

That Lisa and David had been business partners for some time now didn't really add to Jack's already lack of patience and tolerance towards the man. The thought of them meeting on a regular basis unsettled him. Jealous? No, of course he wasn't. Well, maybe. Maybe a teeny tiny bit. Okay, he was jealous but only because this man didn't seem to tolerate any private space. Especially her private space and it hurt Jack every time he saw David's hand on the small spot on her back or the sleazy wink he gave her every now and then.

The little gathering had made their way from the inside to the outside and were now walking on one of the asphalted paths which led through the property like the passages in a maze. Although the sun was out and sent some warmth down to the earth, the wind had taken up and brushed through the treetops so that the rustling of the leaves filled the air.

Lisa stood a bit far off from the rest of the group at a fence that overlooked a wide field. Her eyes were set on a chestnut horse that was calmly grazing under a huge pine tree. The few sun rays that pierced through the treetop put golden spots on its red coat. He was beautiful and from the distance Jack assumed that this must be one of the many stallions that stood separated from the rest of the herds.

With a quick glance at Amanda and David, who talked vividly in French behind him, Jack took the chance to walk over to the fence and get some things right that had been bothering him ever since they arrived here.

"So?" he started when he stepped next to her and took her hand that had been resting on the white, wooden picket - secretly hoping for David to see.

"Found anything you like?"

A bit startled by this sudden encounter, she halfway turned and looked up. Yet, the straight lines on her face softened up quickly and she returned the grip on their entwined hands which made them swing down to their sides.

"I did." Her voice was a mere murmur which made it obvious that she wasn't talking about horses. Jack got the hint immediately and relaxed.
"That's good to hear.", he murmured back by leaning a few inches closer.

A soft chuckle rustled through her throat before they both lost themselves in that moment of looking at each other. Perhaps it wasn't the right time to share one of these moments here at this place where she was trying to appear professional, but sometimes it just happened, without control and once they were caught in it, it was hard to pull out.

The recent memories of the night were still running like hot lava through their veins and Jack suddenly realized where the unfamiliar feeling of jealousy today was coming from – he wasn't willing to share. To share these moments, these nights, her.

"C'est Oviedo Z. Zangersheider étalon.", David's voice suddenly introduced the chestnut horse as he approached them from behind. He had been talking in French and English back and forth today. Jack almost took this change in languages personally since he didn't know much French and he got the impression David excluded him from some conversations on purpose.
Within seconds the prohibited hand landed on her arm and brought along another wave of anger that Jack tried to keep under control. It wouldn't do any good to push the man away.

Those bitter emotions were strange to him but also hard to ignore. It seemed as if tightening the grip on her hand was the only useful way of getting his emotions settled. However, with this tension he obviously confused her since Lisa hesitated for a brief moment when she drew her attention back to the French man and business.

"He is stunning."she said, trying to get back into her role. "I saw one of his sons on the European tour last year. Great potential."

"You've got a good eye, Lisa." Amanda admitted as she joined them and nodded while still looking at the stallion. The chestnut colour of his coat shone completely in the sunlight now that he had stepped out from under the tree's shade. He had got four white legs up to his carpal and ankle joint and a long blaze that reached all the way down to his nostrils.

"Oui, Oviedo's got good bloodline. Would be great to see him with your race horses, Lisa."

"Oh, I'm definitely interested but let me have a look at his bloodline first."
"Yes. Sure, I got papers in my office.", David agreed and pointed over his shoulder back to the main house. "A glass of vine, too. Mesdames et Messieurs?", he invited them with a wink.

"Vin? A onze heures? At eleven o'clock, David?", Amanda rebuked but chuckled.

"There is never a wrong time for vine. And you won't be able to resist when you hear its fait maison. From my own vineyard.", his lips twitched smugly.

The women seemed excited, yet Jack stayed put and something told him to not let her go. He didn't want vine and he didn't want her to have vine either. She pulled at his hand but he didn't give in. The pictures that were running through his head, seeing themselves staying here and putting up with David much longer, made him sick. His resistance must have alarmed her since she looked at him with a deep frown.

"Lisa, are you coming?", Amanda asked puzzled when she noticed that her friend was falling back.

"I will be right there.", Lisa excused herself and had him already turned around to walk a few steps down the pathway to get out of earshot. He knew what was coming next and Lisa had all the right to put him in his place. His strange behaviour confused her. And him, too.

They came to a halt in the shade of a tall hedge.

"Jack," she hissed, "What is the matter?"
"I would be happy if we could leave soon.", he hissed back in the same tone, his eyes set upon the back of the departing man.

Her frown changed into wide eyes. She wasn't used to such plain requests coming from him.
"I get that but I'm working here. Please let me just get this deal done and we will be gone, alright?"
"'kay, but I'm-", When he finally noticed the unsettlement flashing in her eyes, he knew that this awkwardness needed to be stopped here. He was making her look like a fool.
"What?"
"Nothing. I'm sorry.", he let go of her hand and inhaled deeply. "You go. I will wait here."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."

There was one last worried glance up at him, then she turned on her heels and hurried after her business partners to the main house where she disappeared behind the large wooden door.

Jack exhaled loudly and shook his head in disbelief about his own strangeness. What was going on? Why was David making the blood in his veins boil? What was it about him that he couldn't stand? It wasn't the first time Lisa met and worked with male clients. Heck, in her business field she was surrounded by men, but something was different today and Jack racked his brain over it. If it was jealousy he already hated himself for putting their relationship into such a vulnerable place.

With another glance at the wooden door that led into David's office, Jack just hoped that she wouldn't let him wait too long.

-v-v-v-v-v

There weren't that many people at the beach since the weather had changed quickly after midday. The wind was rough and moved the waves wildly to the shore. They were walking a few meters next to the invisible line to where the water stretched out in order to prevent their shoes from getting soaked. His arm rested around her shoulder while hers was wrapped around his waist.

They had been walking in silence. The background was filled with various noises coming from the little bit of life that was going on at the beachside. Seagull cries mingled with children screaming which however were mostly drowned out by the constant rushing of wind and water.

A black and white border collie barked and ran after a wooden stick the owner had just thrown and with a huge leap jumped into an incoming wave that took him and stick back to the beach. Jack watched him as it shook its coat and sent the water like coming from a lawn sprinkler through the air.

"You have been a bit weird at David's. What was going on?", Lisa suddenly broke their silence. Jack knew that this topic would have come back to him sooner or later anyway and he indeed was more than ready to talk about it. More to get rid of this still lasting and uncomfortable feeling.
He was searching for the right words but decided to come out right away. The things he had been putting up with the last few days were overwhelming and the chance to not worry about one of them felt like a relieving opportunity that he shouldn't miss.

"Oh I guess, I'm not so much of a big fan of your friend.", Jack mumbled yet clearly audible. Besides the fact that the French horse breeder liked to show off and to hear himself talking, Jack disliked that everybody seemed to cherish this trait on him. He liked to present himself and his belongings on a golden plate. That doesn't give him the right to own everything he touched, Jack mused grimly but knew that he kind of saw things exaggerated.

"What do you mean?"
"He got his hands all over you." Now that it was out it sounded much more childish than Jack would have liked to admit. "For example.", he added under his breath and more reserved.
"What?!", after a somewhat shocked glance up at him she burst into laughter but pulled herself together quickly sensing that he was serious about it.
"Yeah, haven't you noticed?"
"Jack, of course I have noticed, but first his hands weren't all over me, second he is a French gentleman, and third just a friend."
"So this excuses his behaviour then?"
"What exactly is the problem here, huh?", she stopped and looked up awaiting a truthful answer. Her grip around his waist had slipped to his side by the turn which she mirrored on his other hip too.

"I-", he stammered about, yet her eyes got wider and wider by expectation.

"Well," he reached out to pull her closer. His hands rested on her shoulders were he twirled some loose strands between his fingers while searching for the courage to say the next words. "Maybe I don't wanna share you with someone else."

The up and down movements of her hands on either side of his ribcage stopped by wonderment that was also displayed in the lines of her face, enriched with a pinch of amusement.
"Jack Bartlett, I hope you are not having a twinge of jealousy.", she rebuked him with a light tone in her voice. The smiling twitch in the corner of her mouth revealed the effort in withholding the emotions about his reasons.

For a short moment Jack just watched her before he gasped and held his breath while letting his eyes wander across the sea to his right. He knew it was stupid.
The silent avoidance must have been answer enough for her.

"Oh my god, really?", she laughed out loud without holding back this time.

Instead of being offended that his feelings were misused as a joke, Jack smirked too. She had all the right to laugh about it. He knew that his teenage acting was unfounded. That he could trust her. Yet, this French guy really did mix up his feelings. However, now that they were standing here, her laughing about his jealousy and him trying to figure out what it actually was that he felt, Jack came to the realization that his feelings hadn't been mixed up.

No.

If it was one thing that the visit at David's had shown him, it was the now clear awareness that he had fallen in love with her even more.

Despite the many inwardly struggles about this strange country, about this unbearable amount of miles he was away from home, about the people and lifestyle, the French trip brought along the most wonderful thing that neither of them would have achieved in their crazy daily lives. Spending time together for a few days seemed to work well for them. Their relationship approved so much of it. Whatever would happen once he had to head back home at the end of this week and once they would follow their normal life, Jack didn't know and it was neither the right place nor the right time to worry about that right now. Seize the moment, it shot through his head.

So, Jack just wrapped his arm around her neck to draw her in completely, but it was the moment her laughing stopped when he had already caught her lips in a kiss to put her to silence. The laugh subsided immediately into a soft moan while her hands moved around his waist to meet behind his back and pull their bodies together.

She had told him last night that there was nothing and no one that's gonna change her feelings for him. Jack felt like it was his turn now to tell her; to show her that nothing and no one would stand a chance to ever move between them. He was being way too much in love with her than there was the chance that someone else would smuggle in. They wouldn't let that happen.

They parted from the kiss slowly only to lean in again and let their foreheads meet gently in the middle. It was their personal way of enjoying each other's presence without giving public too much to see and talk about. Like the falling leaves of a tree their emotions glided through their bodies and settled down eventually.

She turned her head up and smiled ambiguously.

"You know the more often you are here, the better you can keep your jealous watch over me.", Lisa teased girlishly with a certain sparkle in her eyes before she let go of him and continued their walk along the beach, leaving him behind with a perplexed expression.

For a moment Jack just looked after her stupefied but followed quickly, smiling to himself. "Ha...very funny.", he called out before three long strides brought him back to her side where they proceeded the walk together again.

The life at the beach hadn't changed much during their little sweet encounter. It were the same few people, the same children and the same dog that came and went in front of them. The wind still brought in wave after wave only to pull them back again, causing the underlying sand to slide into the wide open meter by meter.

"Yeah, you never know, I might invite David over to my place some time."
Apparently she hadn't teased him enough already. Jack could ask her to change topics now that they talked about it, but he could as well just play along, see if there wasn't a way to win this little game that had been started.
"As if he would stay in such a cramped house for long.", Jack let slip nonchalant and it obviously was the right move that scored him a point this time. Jack smirked about her slight hesitation to find an answer.

"Cramped? Seriously?"

"Well yes, You've got too much stuff cramped up in there. Take the pillows for example."

"So you are saying that I should look for a bigger house?"
"Or you can just get rid of a few things."
"Ah...", Lisa just said.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks to bend down and pick up a little rock that lay in the sand. The little black and white patterned object rolled between her fingers before it was tossed into the water where it was immediately swallowed by a wave. Jack was quite impressed by the strong throw, yet he knew that Lisa was still thinking. This conversation wasn't over yet. Somehow the house thing must have triggered something. He just hoped he hadn't hit a sensitive spot and hurt her with the argument.

When she looked up with a crooked smirk, Jack knew that the game wasn't over. She wasn't done yet.

"You know actually it doesn't bother me that much."
Two to one.

"It might bother David. Just saying. You're the one that wants to invite him over."
Two on two.

"Right.", she chuckled with a shaking head and surrendered. With a heavy but pleased sigh she let herself fall against his side and hooked into to his arm to carry on their silent walk to the end of the beach where a few stone stairs led up to the street and thus into the town centre.

Jack was glad that this topic was finally off his chest and that, in spite of his childish behaviour, it turned out to be another solid foundation stone in their relationship. It was good to be open with her. About those things that bothered him. Maybe he should try to address those other things too. But not today. He didn't want to ruin what they just established over the last few days.